Nightmares
by Rolyat Eivyf
Summary: I barely feel it when his teeth break the soft, pale skin on my neck. But I feel it when he starts to suck. White hot pain, like my skin is being peeled back slowly from my neck down. Someone is screaming in the distance . . .


My friends are sitting at our table in lunch, talking about the newest idea for our senior prank. I'm not listening though, because my mind has been deterred. The Cullen family's lunch table stands bare and lonely in the midst of all the busily talking tables. I look out the window; the sun is well hidden beneath a thick layer of rain and clouds. I look back to the vacant table and wonder where they are. An empty feeling forms in my chest as I flip through the possibilities. I hope I'm just being paranoid.

The drive home seems shorter than usual. Maybe I had been speeding. My driveway approaches as I flick the left blinker and pull the old red clunker in and kill the ignition. The grumble of the engine fades and a dull ringing is left in my ears. Edward and I exchange a lengthy stare as I slowly get out of the truck. I slam the door and that seems to break the silent standoff. Edward gestures for me to follow and strikes off toward the woods at a brisk walk. My heart freezes over.

Something is wrong.

I jog to catch up to him. He barely slows when he sees that I am falling behind, glancing back now and then only to make sure that I am still able to follow his winding path. When he looks back I catch his eye and see the darkness lurking behind his carefully composed expression. His stony face looks like it has been carved in hatred. My palms felt damp and I find myself constantly wiping them on my pants. I wish Edward would let me hold his hand . . .

It seems like we have been walking for miles when Edward finally stops. I'm concentrating so hard on keeping up and on his trail that I nearly run into him. He jerks back quickly, easily avoiding the innocent contact. He stares down at me, his black eyes smoldering, and crosses his arms across his chest. The forest around us is getting darker and a thick mist is hovering just above the ground. I can see the moon hanging high above us in the sky; it's bright, lonely face shining down with a milky light that made Edward glow fluorescently in the darkness. I pull my sweatshirt tight around myself as tremors shake through me.

"Edward why are we here?" I ask through chattering teeth. I try to sound casual but I can't hide the fear in my voice. This isn't like him.

Slowly he brings his eyes to mine. "My family is leaving Forks, Bella," his voice is soft.

I take a deep breath. I knew this would happen. I nod firmly. "Okay, I—I'll just have to think of something to tell to Charlie," I say hopefully, reaching out and taking a step towards him.

Edward steps away glares back at me.

I stare back, confused at his cold countenance. Then I begin to understand—slowly. My hands begin to shake as the revelation as to the meaning behind his words sinks in. "When you say your family . . . ." 

His face darkens. "I mean my family and myself," he clarifies in an icy tone.

Like a lethal injection, his words send a terrible pain shooting through my limbs and head, centering on my chest were it erupts into agony. I gasp and grab my ribcage. "You don't want me?" I whisper, feeling like I've just been shot.

A wicked grin slowly comes to life on Edward's dark face. "No, Bella, I don't want you."

Panic washes through me. I'm numb and all I can look at is the ground. The world is moving too quickly and I feel sick, but my stomach is empty. I hug myself and sway slightly. This isn't happening this isn't real; this isn't happening; this isn't real.

"You're no good for me, Bella," Edward continues in a low voice, the cruel smirk still in place. "You were fun for a while but, you know, a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do. And I gotta _do_ something better than _you_."

The sting of his words is a cruel reminder that this is real. Slowly I bring my eyes to his, staring at his blurry form through stinging tears of rejection. "Please don't," I beg, falling to my knees. How well I knew that I was not good enough for him.

"There's just one thing in the way of our leaving," Edward says, appearing crouched before me so I have no choice but to look at him. I meet his eyes with some effort; struggling to hold my head up. He smiles and his face softens. "You."

My brows knit together. "Me?" I whisper, searching his eyes.

"Yes, you, silly girl."

I don't understand. "Why . . .?"

Edward clicks his tongue sharply. "Bella, Bella, haven't you been paying attention? What is the one rule our Volturi have? Hmm?" He asks me like he is talking to a small child. My chest burns.

"To keep the secret of your existence . . ." My eyes grow wide as I realize what he means.

He smile turns dark. "Good, Bella, you remembered." His face twists into a snarl. "Now do you see why you are a problem?"

I move to run, but to my dismay I have no idea how to get home. I make it two steps in one direction before Edward grabs my hair and yanks my head back. I yelp as he pulls me back by the hair close to my neck. He trails his lips along my neck, breathing deeply.

"Oh, Bella," he murmurs softly, "You smell good."

"Charlie will know I'm gone!" I squeal desperately, flailing against his iron grip. "Charlie will know!"

Edward laughed bitterly. "Charlie is being taken care of . . . . as we speak." He whispers into my ear.

"I wouldn't tell anyone," I bawl, "You know me Edward! You love me you know I'd never tell!"

Another round of raucous giggles bubble out of his chest. He drops me to the ground like a rag doll. "Love you? A human! Bella, I was merely fascinated; infatuated at best! But love? How could I ever love something like _you_?" He growled. "I need to get _rid_ of you."

"No!" I scream, struggling with all my strength against his grip as he pulls me up by my hair again. He drops me to the ground and laughs, stepping away from me. I lie on the wet ground, warm tears of anger and fear flowing freely down my dirty-reddened cheeks. I try to get up and run, but my foot catches on something and I tumble back down the squishy dirt, landing wrong on my wrist. I cry out as the bone cracks and it begins to throb. Edward approaches me and I dig my good hand into the slimy mush, kicking with my legs, desperately trying to get away. I don't make it a foot before Edward places his foot on my ankle and presses down. I cry out as the pressure nearly snaps it.

Edward glowers over me. "You can make this easy, Bella. You don't have to hurt anymore," he says seductively. The shadows from the tree branches cast weird shadows over his beautiful face, a deadly gleam shimmers in his coal-black eyes, and there is an evil undercurrent to his velvety voice; an undercurrent of bloodlust. It scares me as I realize I'm not looking at Edward Cullen anymore. I'm staring into the eyes of a very pissed off vampire.

A final, desperate thought occurs to me. "Alice!" I scream hopelessly. "Alice, please!" My voice echoes through the forest and a pregnant silence follows. "Alice . . ." I whisper.

"I'm here, Bella," a soft voice flows from the darkness to my left.

Hope blossoms in my chest. "Alice! Please, help me, Alice, Alice, please," I beg, dragging myself in the direction of her voice. A pair of legs sheathed in jeans appears before me. I grab them and pull myself onto my knees. "Alice, tell him! Tell him I wouldn't tell!"

She ignores me. "Edward you promised to make this quick," she says softly.

Another pair of legs appears. "The point of this was not torture," another voice intones. Carlisle.

Another wave of numbness washes over me. It wasn't just Edward. The whole family is here almost. Everyone wants me dead. "Carlisle," I cry, searching for his eyes, "You know I won't tell! Alice," I beg, "please help me?" The silence is horrifying. "Why won't you help me?" I whisper.

Suddenly I feel like I am going to throw up as a foot is shoved into my stomach and sends me flying into a tree. I moan in agony. "Edward, Edward, Edward . . ." I mutter incoherently. I've lost the will to get up, to move, to live. I taste blood.

"It was just a game, Bella," Edward whispers. "We just wanted a little fun. Don't take it personally, but you're just too big of a liability," he says innocently. He grabs me by the hair and begins to drag through the forest.

"Help me!" I scream hysterically, twisting as I am dragged. "Somebody help me!"

"Shut up!" Edward snarls, yanking my hair hard. He stops, pulling me to my feet.

"It was all pretend?" I ask through my tears.

"Yes," Edward replies emotionlessly.

"I never meant anything? You never felt anything?"

"Bella, don't do this to yourself. This isn't your fault."

Anger boils beneath my skin. "But I'm the one who's dying for it!" I cry hysterically.

Edward shrugs. "There are always casualties of war," he says simply.

I stare back at him uncomprehendingly.

He smiles wittedly, his teeth gleaming in the moonlight. "All's fair in love and war," he growls.

I barely feel it when his teeth break the soft, pale skin on my neck. But I feel it when he starts to suck. White hot pain, like my skin is being peeled back slowly from my neck down. Someone is screaming in the distance, blood curdling, ear piercing howls that make me shiver.

"Bella . . .! Bella! Bella, wake up! Bella _wake up!_" Edward is shaking me and I realize that the screaming is coming from me. "Bella!"

I fly out of my bed and onto the floor, bawling my eyes out and whimpering.

"Bella, Bella!" Edward is beside me in a second. "Bella, what happened? What's the matter with you? _Bella!_" His voice sounds worried.

Slowly I sit up and look at him, my whole body coated in sweat. I'm shaking uncontrollably. He looks at me with concerned, liquid gold eyes. "Bella, love, what's the matter?" He asks again.

I stare back at him wide eyed. "Do you love me?" I ask shakily.

Edward looks confused. "What do you-?"

"Do you love me!" I snap hysterically.

"Yes, Bella, of course I do!" He grabs me and holds me in his lap. "I always will, Bella, always. _Never_ question that."

Still, the dream clings to my mind. I stare; hypnotized by the lullaby he has begun to hum. Slowly my eyes begin to grow heavy, and I find myself drifting back into oblivion with the comforting notion that some endings only live in our dreams.

. . . I hope.


End file.
